Brodiaea insignis

Kaweah brodiaea

Family: Themidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Kaweah brodiaea is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills in the Kaweah and Tule River drainages of Tulare County, in foothill woodland at elevations of 200 to 500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces striking violet flowers with spreading perianth lobes 13 to 20 millimeters long, creating a delicate display against its slender scape. Growing with a thin, delicate scape 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it emerges from underground corms with remarkable elegance. Its flowers feature distinctive white staminodes with notched tips that are appressed to the stamens, creating an intricate internal structure. The delicate violet blooms are carried on pedicels up to 13 centimeters long, highlighting the plant's graceful architectural form.

Habitat: Foothill woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 200-500 m

Bioregions: s SNF (Kaweah, Tule River drainages, Tulare Co.).

California counties: Tulare

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.